Learn to Say No
by Sariah Loire
Summary: Kyoko needs help with an acting problem, and Ren agrees to help without asking what the problem is. One-shot.


_**Learn to Say No**_  
Sariah Loire

_This was written in a flash on inspiration, in under an hour. Dedicated to one of my favorite supporting characters ever, Yashiro Yukihito, the ultimate RenxKyoko fangirl.  
Skip Beat! And its characters, locations, terms, etc, do not belong to me._

* * *

"Knock, knock." A smooth, deep voice rang throughout the near-empty room. Ren Tsuruga stepped through the open door, taking in his surroundings. In the far right corner of the room, there sat the very person he was searching for. "Miss Mogami?" There was no response, so Ren stepped forward a few steps. The closer he stepped, the darker the room seemed to appear.

Kyoko was sitting in the corner, with her head buried in her knees. A low mutter was emitting from her general direction, but Ren couldn't make out the words. "Miss Mogami, are you okay?" He tried again, reaching out a hand to touch her shoulder.

His touch startled her, causing Kyoko to jump out of the chair, bowing profusely. "P-Please forgive me, Mr. Tsuruga! I wasn't aware you were in the room, I'm sorry!" She stood, bowing from the waist, a deep blush spreading across her face.

"It's quite alright, Miss. Mogami. Please lift up your head, there's no need to apologize so strongly." Kyoko straightened quickly, snapping to attention. Her spirit seemed much brighter than it was a few minutes before. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"N-No, I couldn't ask _you_ to help with _t-this_, Mr. Tsuruga." She shyly glanced up, coming face-to-face with his sparkling, gentleman's smile. She froze where she stood.

"You couldn't?" He spoke, never dropping his smile, though his voice sounded slightly dangerous. "And is there some reason why you can't trust me to help, Miss Mogami?" Kyoko stammered, her eyes getting wider and wider. "Or do you simply believe that I am _incapable_?"

"T-THAT'S NOT IT, MR. TSURUGAAAA!"

* * *

"You could have informed me that you needed help with your acting, Miss Mogami."

'_I would have, if your lying smile didn't make my demons go wild'_ "Please forgive me, Mr. Tsuruga, I didn't mean to be troublesome." Kyoko bowed her head slightly. She fidgeted slightly in her seat, clutching a small white bag. "It's just e-embarrassing to ask you, my superior, to help me yet again."

Ren smiled softly to himself, keeping his face in check. "You shouldn't feel embarrassed, I'm fully ready and willing to help you with any acting problem you may have." Kyoko peeked up at him, her eyes shining hopefully. "So, please ask away."

"Well, it has to do with my role of Natsu…" She trailed off, thinking to herself. Ren's face paled slightly, remembering his previous 'help' with her role. He knew well that Mr. Yashiro would have given his life savings to have seen that event. "In an upcoming episode, she has to bully a male teacher for a change."

Ren glanced at the clock when Kyoko looked at her hands. If this took a turn for the worse, he might have to fake an appointment to make a quick exit. As long as Mr. Yashiro didn't mention clearing his schedule, it could work. "Please, continue."

"It's the bullying scenes that I'm worried about, I feel so nervous!" She burst out, feeling tears start to prick her eyes. She had finally admitted to her acting-god that she was scared. "I can't do it! I'll die of embarrassment if he feels my hands shaking!"

Trying to hide a smile, Ren masked his face with a stern look. "Miss Mogami, soon you'll no longer be considered a Talento, but a true Actress. You'll be put in many… difficult situations that will test your ability to act natural, no matter what you are asked to do."

"I understand." Kyoko nodded, blushing, her voice laced with uncertainty. She wouldn't meet his eyes again, which cause Ren to begin to feel slightly nervous.

'_I thought "Natsu" was just a bully, put perhaps they included romantic scenes in the drama? It could be that they want her to kiss someone...'_ Ren masked his face once again, controlling his voice. "So, how can I be of help to you, Miss Mogami?"

Kyoko clutched the small white bag, staring at it intensely. "U-Um, Mr. Tsuruga, c-c-could I maybe…" Her voice went into a low whisper.

"I'm sorry, Miss Mogami, I can't hear you when you whisper like that." He smiled softly, trying to put her at ease. "As I said, there is no need to feel nervous around me. Please tell me what you wish for me to do."

"M-Mr. Tsuruga, would you mind if I… play with your hair?"

* * *

'_So that's what was in her white bag.'_ Ren looked across the room to the mirror that stretched from wall-to-wall, then quickly looked away before his ears burned with embarrassment. _'I have to admit that I was expecting something slightly different.'_

He looked at Kyoko's reflection. She had quickly gotten over her nervousness, and was smiling happily as she put tiny pins and other decorations into his hair. He had learned, from her hurried explanation, that Natsu was trying to bully the teacher by humiliation. Her first task was to 'girl' up his hair, then force him to keep it that way for a few lectures. The bullying would, of course, escalate to the normal level of violence when the man refused.

And standing behind him was Natsu, humming innocently, as she practiced on her victim. Kyoko's nervousness was because she had to touch an older man's hair, something she had only done to one person. Ren smiled to himself as he remembered her soft fingers running through his hair, in the trailer while _Dark Moon_ was filming on location. His head had lain on her lap while she stroked his hair, and all had seemed right for those few minutes.

"Does that hurt, Mr. Tsuruga?" Kyoko had just stuck a flowered pin, a _pink_ flower no less, into his hair, slightly jabbing his scalp.

Ren managed to keep himself from wincing, as he smiled at her through the mirror. "Don't worry, Miss Mogami, I'm fine." She nodded happily and began adding more pins and –to his horror- a small ribbon.

* * *

Walking the hallways for twenty minutes had put Mr. Yashiro into a slightly-sullen mood. Ren had asked him to clear his schedule for the evening after he had gotten a phone call from a worried Miss Kotonami. Ren wouldn't tell him any details, but he had heard Kyoko's friend worriedly tell Ren that Kyoko needed the actor's help, but was too afraid to ask.

Ren had hurried off, leaving Yashiro to fumble with his schedule. Luckily, there was only an unimportant meeting with a tabloid, and it was able to be put off for a few days. After sorting out the mess, he had began searching the building to find Ren.

That was twenty minutes ago, and he had yet to find the man. It was infuriating, to say the least.

Walking, once again, into the LoveME section of the building, Yashiro sighed. He had his cell phone in one gloved hand, ready to phone the actor, when he heard Ren's voice. It was very soft, but he was grasping at straws, and was willing to take any chance. _'Ren and Kyoko, alone with the door closed? Eeee!_' His inner fangirl was squealing as Mr. Yashiro flung open the nearby door, with a huge smile on his face.

His smile froze on his face as his words died in his mouth. He didn't dare blink, or say anything, as his presence hadn't been noticed. Yet.

Ren's eyes were closed, and Kyoko was rustling through her bag. Mr. Yashiro automatically lifted his phone to snap a picture before silently backing out the door, and running down the hallway. He almost made it to the courtyard outside of LME before tears of silent laughter began streaming down his face.

* * *

Ren felt a small buzz in his pocket, and pulled out his cell phone. _'A t__ext message from Mr. Yashiro?'_ He opened the phone, angling it slightly, where Miss Mogami couldn't see it, and opened the message. There was a picture, of himself, with his hair adorned, and Miss Mogami standing behind him. There was only one line of text under the picture.

'_Ren, learn to say no.'_


End file.
